The Sun. — London, England, 1818-01-10 00:00:00

E COLONIES. EDUCATION. I SO. I. ] NOVA SCOTIA. L Grattro es't, quod patrice populo que dedisti, facis, ut patri4 sit idoneus; utilis antis; Utilis.et belloriun, et pacis rebus agendis. eniin intercrit, quibus artibus, et quibus hack tuu Alm ibtrs instituas SA:. XIV. 70 It is notnecessary in the present day to dilate on the advantages arising from Education ; its 'importance is generally acknowledged. Indeed, among the many useful improvethents and bril liant events which characterize his Majesty's Reign, none, we think, will be more conspicuous in History, than that of Educa tion, which has been so successfully adopted un 'der His-Sanction. This event will shine, per haps., with a paler and more chastened lustre than _the bright 'successes of Our Arms, but its progress will . be marked by effects not less im portant, extensive, and lasting. • His Majesty has been, at every period of his'life, the liberal pa tron of learned men, and of institutions for the dissemination of Knowledge, and the 'itnfirove ment of the Eine Arts ; and no part 'of - Ids -do minions is without some testimovy of . the en couragement which he has afforded to them. He was sensible, that there were not any surermeans of attaching his •more remote subjects to the in terests of the Parent State, than giving them an education suited to their various ranks ; and ac cordingly i❑ his Majesty's Dependencies, the Go vernors, aided by the Inhabitants, promoted the stablishment of Schools for useful learning, and of Colleges where the • young men destined for Professions might complete a more liberal course of education. Tl.is latter measure was wise and necessary ; for it is of the first importance, that "the learned pfofessions should be filled with men duly qualified by early habits of reflection and study, and an intimate acquaintance with general litera ture, to perform their respective duties ; and the expellee of a residence at either of the Universities this country, for so long a time as is requisite to complete a course of academical study, added - to the inconvenience and estrangement from their .families, is such as almost to prohibit the Colo.; 'lists from deriving any advantage from these.in— stitutions, and thus, had not this measure been adopted, they would have been deprived, in a great degree, of the means of gaining any extensive ac quaintance with the higher departments of lite rature, and would consequently have been nnfit for the chief offices in the Colonies. It seems just, and indeed politic; to distribute some offi cial situations in the Colonies among men born and educated there, and upon this, ground, we conceive it to be proper to give them a suitable education, so that they may be enabled to exe- cute the trusts reposed in them with advantage to . the Public. It is politic, because men educated , in the Colonies have opportunities of making themselves acquainted with the feelings, preju dices, and wants of the people, and of acquiring local information which may he of the most es sential service in the management of provincial affairs : indeed, the want of knowledge of this Mud, :which has on too many occasions been evinced to the sacrifice of our Colonial Interests, is-an irresistable argument in favour of this,as sertion. Besides, every man who feels as lie ought; has a just and lau► l able ambition to raise himself in that society, into which birth or other adventitious circumstances have thrown him—if he is denied the power, he becomes discontented, and readily listens to every scheme fOr• the it;tro duction of an order of things more flattering to th.r hopes of that passion which is predominant in him. It is upon these grounds that we so en tirely approve the measures which have been adopted, in the Colonies to disseminate know ledge, and to fit every man for becoming a❑ in dustrious and loyal Citizen, a useful Alagistrate, or a wise and prudent Legislator. This is, we mast confess, a favourite topic of speculation. It has long been the amusement of our leisure to watch the progress of education in the different Colonies of The British Empire, and amongst all of them we have found a praise worthy zeal to diffuse generally its advantages, but we have felt a singular satisfaction in observ ing the constant attention which the Legislature of Nova Scotia has bestowed upon this subject. So early as the year 1766 we find in their Statute book " An Act to regulate Schools and School masters," and since that period the .Legislature has scarcely ever met without passing sonic Act for the establishment of a new School, or for re vising the Statutes for the regulation of those al ready founded. We have seen additional encou ragements almost annually offered, and the most beneficial and salutary means adopted, to promote the attainment of their oVJect. 'And in the Acts 'of successive: years, we think that we can find a proof of the good effects t esulting from this care in the Provincial Legislature, 'and of the favourable manner b which it has been received by the-in habitants of the 'Colony. Th.ere appears to he something so judicious in The System pursued by the Legislature of - this • Province, that we wish we could - present our R ea d e rs with an extended view of it,, but our limits compel us to offer only a slight sketch of • its more important features; hut even this we trust will not be altogether unafteptable. The fourth General Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia was convened in the year 178%5. and chrly it's 111{,T Session it passed an Act, t h e 1.;,h Geo. 111. 0.7•., founded on the ninth section of the Statute, I. Jar. 1. c. 4., prohibit ing an y person front setting up a Gramm4r School within that Province, or " a school for the in struction of youth in reading, writing, and arith metic in the township of Halifax," until he had been first examined as to his qualifications for the instruction of children by the Minister of the Town wherein he proposed to keep a school.— And it also appointed Trustees to improve and manage the allotments of four . hundred acres of land which his Majesty had directed to be reserved in each district for the use and . sOpport.or schools. This Act is the first'which we notice in the Pro vincial Statute-book, and it i's . of tgreat import ance; for, as the education of children is an ob ject of the utmost solicitude, so it islboSt neces s4ry in all places, but mote partictdarly in an in fqnt Community, : to prevent improper persons assuming the functions of a School -master. If men in other professions are restrained froth en tering into them without previous examination, or until a stated period has passed, we conceive it to be equally necessary that the important and spectable duties of a School-master should not he exercised by any man as inclinatibn or opportu nity suggests, without regard to, his qualifications for the office. A public Grammar School was next established in the Town of HaMast, and endowed by the Le gislature. A Master was appointed with a salary of one hundred pounds a year, to be paid from the duties. of Excise, and fifty pounds were added for ari Usher, to be provided by the Master when the number of Scholars should e:iceed. thirty. The Legislature, at the same time, voted the sum of fifteen hundrea pounds towards the expence of erecting a proper and convenient building for the school ; and the Governor of the ProvioQe was empowered to Appoint five Trustees and Directors who should be incorporated and enabled to hold lands, and receive donations for the. use'of it, and who were twice in every year. to visit the school, and publicly to examine the scholars. • The•endowinent of this school, in our opinion, reflects the highest credit upon the Legislature of Nova Scotia. Every man Who is a7quainted with the state' of learning in . England, knowS it is chiefly to the Public Schools which the wisdom and p;ety of our ancestors founded, that this toun ' try is indebted for her exalted rank in the Repub lic of Letters. It has been certainly e question . of considerable doubt in .the minds of several eminent and great men, how far Public Education is desirable. It is not our intention to discu-s the point ; but we may be pardoned if we take the liberty to observe, that the experience of many ages has developed so much, to recommend it, that we think evety parent fully justified in adopting it for his children ; and that as to the objection of its bad effect upon the morals of a boy, we can say from our personal knowledge that some of the most amiable, virtuous, and pleasing men of our ac quaintance were educated in time Palk Schools, whilst we have known many who have en tered into life, or gone to the University from a private School, or a private Tutor, fall an easy prey to the allnremeins of vice, and - become the most dissipated characters, and chiefly by the want Of that acquaintance with the world which is acquired •in a Public School. If we were dis posed to pursue this subject, we might adduce in favour of Public Education, the example of the most able and learned of its opponents in latter times, who sent all his sons. to Eton and Wism chester Schools, differing, certainly, vet y mate rially in the principles upon which they are con ducted, but the result at both has beets most flat tering to the hopes of a father ; for the eldest son has become a distinguished ornament of the sa cred profession of which he is a member, and the others are likely to follow in the same steps. To return, however, to the Grammar School at Haiitax, its success, and the advantages de rived front its establishment, may well be inferred, when we find the Legislature of the Province in 18 . 11 passing an Act for the foundation ofSchools on similar principles i n - a ll th e other bi'stricts of the Colony. This' Act is. much fuller : :and more explanatory than the former. It beginS with re citing, that " time education of youth is of the " utmost importance to society, and that public " attention to that object had produced beneficial " 'effects ;" and then it empowers the Governors of the Province for the time being, with the ad vice of his Majesty's Council, to -appoint three Trustees and Directors in each District and County of the Colony, for establishing Grammar Schools therein. The Trustees are first directed by this Act to procure places for the scites of buildings suited for the Selaords, and are enabled to receive donations for their erection, and the endowment of the Schools, and to purchase and hold lands for the same. They are also autho rised to engage." a Master and Ushers, or Tutors, " duly qualified according to Law,"—to make . Bye-Laws, and to enforce the observance of them by moskrate fines and expulsions or other public censures, and to fix the rates of tuition in each School. The scholars are directed to be taught English Gram Mar, the Latin and Greek Lan guages, Orthography, the Use of the Globes, and the practical branches of Mathematicks, or such other useful learning as May h• judged necessary and the Trustees are empowered to nominate and send to each of these Schools, eight poor Orphan - Children, whose parents or guardians. cannot af ford to pay for their educatiOn, to be instructed iii all the branches of Learning which are there taught, and this number of FREg SCUOLARS is always to be kept fihlcd up. The Act also grants to the Trustees . . of the Schools in etch of t i tle folloWing Cuuntics, nttnely, Sydney,. Cumberland, Queen's - County, Lonenburg, Annapolis, and Sheiborne and the Districts of Colehes'ter, Vict - on, and Yarmouth, the sum of one hundred 'pounds cnoutilig, to he drawn Irmo the Provincial Treasury. 'To offer any remarks, at present, upon this ex cellent Statute, will extend this article to a too, .great,iength ; but ‘ic shall ta'k an early Opportu nity of reverting to the subject, when it is our in tention to complete this sketch of the measures adopted by the Legislature of Nova Scotia to pro- Mote the extension of Education. We shall then have ()eta's:ion . to notice the foundation of the tOlice at Windsor, and, likewise, to.sheW that the Legislature of this Province has also been equally attentive in providing for the instruction of the poorer classes ; and in a sobScgoent Ntlin7 her Ive shall lay before our Readers an Account of the present State of the Schools, generally, in Nova Scotia, and point out the effective and liberal assistance which has been afforded to th . ese laud able undertakings by those admirable, add we May say venerable Institutions, the Society for Pro pagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the • So ciety for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and 'the National Society for the Education of Children in the Principles of the Established Church. This Article, certainly, is much longer than we intended ; but we trust it will not be al►ogether devoid of interest ; indeed; we feel assured, that no man who understands that sound and judicious system of Colonial Policy which has brought this Country to its present prosperous and enlightened state,. can he indifferent to any measure which tends to promote the happiness and welfare` of our transatlantic brethren, and to maintain that re ciprocal attachment which is requisite for our mutual support, and, whir this conviction firmly impressed upon our minds, we shall ofte►a add our bumble, endeavours to promote that object. A. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The Letter on OAK 'PimaEa, and the admirable Poem of PHILI:ccLustAsT, are unavoidably deferred till Monday. We shall be glad of any Communication with•As OLD 13mt- RI ST EH. THEATRICAL REGISTER. Peiformed Last Ni; ht. THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.—The Hypocrite Doctor Cantwell, Mr. Dowton ; Charlotte, Mrs. Davison. After which, Harlequin's Vision. THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN.—tetribtition : Varanes, ; Zinira. Miss O'Neill. After which, Harle quin Gulliver. • MAILS. - ARRIVED—,I Dublin, 2 Waterford, I Lisbon; Dut—t Hot:. land, 3 Guttenburgli, i France, i Ilauaburgh. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS 'my AT TWELVE o'cLucK. 3 per Cent. Banti L. Ann... 2b 13-16ths :t per Cent. India Bonds.:.. 1035. 104 s. pr. 4 per Cents 494 Exch. 8i115:..... 19s. 28s. pr. 3 per Cent. NavyAnu.l 05mi Cons. fur Account, 82 811821, HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE•' TO.MORROW.. Moraing,, 19 minutes after 5. I Evviiitig, 44 minutes after 5. THE SUN. S'OLEM QUIS DICE 111.; FALSUM AVVEAT. ? LONDON, - SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 181 g. Boston Papers, to the 18th December, arrived this morning. (Front the Boston Ativertk,er of Dec. IG, 1517.) • HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Mosp.ty, DEC. S. (IMPORTANT.) j AMELIA ISLAND and SPASISH PATRIOTS. - Mr. RHEA offered for consideration the follow 'in Resolution : " Resolved, that the President be requested to lay before the House of Representatives any in formation lies may possess, and think proper to communicate, relative to the proceedings of cer tain persons who took possessio❑ of Amelia Island, at the Mouth of St. Mary's River, near the boundaries of the State of Georgia, i❑ the summer of the present year, and make an establishment there ; and also any information he bath, and may think proper to communicate relative to an establishment made at an early pe riod by persons of the same description, in the Gulf of Mexico, place called Galvizton, within the limits - of the United States, as we contend under the cession of ‘-‘ Louis," together with the reasons inducing him to issue orders to suppress the said establishments." Mr. VORSYTII moved to strike out the last clause of the proposed Resolution. Mr. HoLmES (of Massaehusotts) said, he should never be opposed to any call for information on any subject when moved by the House 3 but it ap peared to him that the call now preferred was un necessary ; since the Resolution now desired, he thought the House should wait a day two,. to see whether they would nit obtain, without any further call, all the information they desired from the Executive ; with this view he moved that the resolution should be laid on the table. The question to l,r the resolution on the table was then taken—For the motion % Against 81 —so the motion was lost. The main question was taken on the resolution, and tlecided in the.alftrinative without a division, anti a -Coin- Wit tee ordered to be appointed, to ‘rait on the PRESIDENT therewith. • MINPREEs BoHoUGH (TEN), Nov. 21.—An express has just &I:lived in town from General I tra'y to 'General 7A'c.F.3oN., hear:,:34 information 'that the Spaniard and Seminole It" dians had 1-:::: . rch'ed a large fOrce up to Gelierj GAINES, near 'tin!. St. Mary's ; had surroundo l his fort, and were pushing him hard at all point.i that they were vastly superior in numbei.st.o . oti c tro'itys; Ato, wit houtimmediate assistancj; fall a sacrifice to Indian barbarity. The Boston Paper of the IGth contains da` Annual Ticasury Report as to Finances : Reventie in 1815 was 49 millions dollars 1816 36 do. 1817 —33 do. do. The permanent Annual Rrventie is estimated A t 24 millions dollars. The expellee in 1818 wo-"I'l be greatly lessened ; estitnattd about ' 2. ' 3 millions of dollars. We are informed by good 'authority, that the Venezuelian. Minister, after perusing the I'res7 dent's Message, immediately dispatched an Es press to his Colleague, Don PEDRO GAUL, the Deputy from New Grenada and Mexico, and t° General AURY, at Amelia Island, advising the° of the contemplated hostilities against that plac e ' It is added; he ,has directed AURY to d e fool the place to the last, unless attacked by a ver}' superior force, in which case, to enter a soletuil Protest in the name of the South American G 0 vernment, capitulate, and surrendered themsela % prisonei's of war. Some of our Competitors have been rather too hasty in praising THE SPEECH of the AMERICA :I PRESIDENT, and we may venture to predict, th st they will soon be obliged to adopt our view its real character and tendency. Others I) 3° more wisely contented themselves with abridgit4 the po - ints in this memorable Speech, and expres i ing themselves in general terms, whi c h they nuts'retract or not, as they see occasion. 'Jude smooth and specious covering, this-Speech toe be considered'as pregnant with such matter as vvi ll " • put the judgment, abilities, and knowledge our best Statesmen to the proof. Li our opiniosl the Speech is portentous of future hostility 6 the British Empire and its Dependencies, and . ° calculated to produce a totally IleW aspect of affairs across the Atlantic, when the designs ( the American Government 'shall be " by the steu/ini; hours ofTime," and we earnestri exhort our Rulers to weigh the whole with Pr"' found attention, in older to guard against, 0 1. . 14 best to,retard, those mischiefs whlelt may oili ef' Wise come unwarily upon They shall 1144 want for our WARNING VOICE, We have again to announce the DOD-arrival 11 1 Paris Papers. Two days' Journals are due. Another Mai! has arrived from Lisbon, bratig it. !:y the Chi!stolield packet, and is ten day' 1 14113 ; date than the one received yesterday. THE Ft:SM.—Stocks were again depressed tb l i° morning, being dune •at 811 ; they reco"r however, at one o'clock, and were done at 824' ss m which pri c e th e y remained steady. Money c` )o, tinues very plentiful.' We have the pleasure to state that the 00 Midshipmen, who so resolutely attempted to ' li r charge their duty at Deal, and were so ctraog e4 ref Used to be liberated on bail, cruder all the C ll cumstances of the case, were this (lay brought to town, and. admitted to bail before Mr. Justice 14oLitoYD. The names of these_spiriteel yol wen are Messrs. ARQUIMBAU and R011E1,1.1%111), the Severn. , The Governors of' Si. Lucie and Dotni f " q e - have opened the ports of thosefislands to ve ssel, of all nations bringing in provisions, and have i, lowed them to take produce in return, althot*, no difficulty could have existed in procuring P r visions for these Islands in British vesiels• the recent Order of Council respecting e 4 . foundland, the importation of similar a rticles i ? confine to British ships. The Governoi of Aj sr' tinique has, for a limited time, permitted forele vessels to enter there, but subject to an cOil heavy duty. •A Meeting was Yesterday held at the Kid: Head in the P ou l try o f t h e C omm i ttee f or di'l f- ; buting the subscription collected for the Relief ° 4 DISTRESS ED SEAMEN, according to aclvertiserge lj . l A in the Daily Pilots announcing that purpose , prodigious crowd of applicants,. it seems, ass n : bled in the Poultry, insomuch that'it was cliff ° for the Peace-officers to open a path for passel; L;ers and carriAges, which, however, INO length effected. H judicious arrangement. Th , e Lotto i'vlAvoa, anxious to 'secure the result of 11)1" subscription for the objects for whom it wits tended, issued a Proclamation to prevent it l'' oll being extended to mere Impostors. This l'ioc l4 ; !nation, which arose from,principles of jus; 31 . 1‘ humanity, and which forcibly evinced good se'l'o and judgment, has exposed his Lordship to tla '~~`i~el ~~ltg l ! ~ l l'~t~ E~~d~~i fi Na ; 0 4h4 t"ity, th en - ; Pariic i \lel ' I 'all to alr c • lurpri kid Ii aff ect , 14 th 44 41 If tilt ter !pc e m~lc Iv or(h probe S'Jn) 4 'Lac Poul, lijN o 14 4) test t 4 iri sta illg . Slate t thei The throl Pool tick ( Lis of ci C~g S , Vid e gera 0111 at II then Ne i %11 1 A; 1 1 1 Rd,